East Grinstead Running Day

Sunday April 26th 2009

434: East Grinstead to Edenbridge and Dormansland: RF489

RF489 set off for Edenbridge on time at 1115, passing Green Line RT3228 waiting to take up a duty on the 708,
linking the Bluebell Railway at Kingscote with East Grinstead and Godstone Green.

We turned left, passing over the central by-pass (Beeching Way) and then passing down through down the rock cutting of Blackwell Hollow
to reach the Tunbridge Wells Road. We climbed up past the Stone Quarry Estate and the hospital,
and took the turnoff for Dormansland, passing from West Sussex back into Surrey.

We met one of Southdown PSV's newish EnviroDarts, No102, heading into East Grinstead,
with East Grinstead Running Day on the display.

We met RF633 in Dormansland, where Peter Aves kindly pulled in to the side to let us through,
and then came upon STL2377 from the Cobham Museum at The Plough, one of the major connection points for the day.

We pulled up near the eastbound stop, and the point was made: Daimler Fleetline XF3 swept round the corner
on the road from Lingfield with a terminating 409, and managed to turn next to T792 (which was tucked away round the corner from the pub).
It pulled up behind the STL on East Grinstead local route 428.

Then RF679 came along from Edenbridge, with a 434 bound for East Grinstead Garage.

I took the opportunity to pop off RF489 for a quick photo, and rejoined
before Ashley pulled away, giving me a shot past his head of T792 sitting in Ford Manor Road.

We headed along the winding road easrwards, passing RF486 on its way back to East Grinstead.
We passed into Kent, and worked our way through Marsh Green to reach the Hartfield-Edenbridge road.
We turned left to rumble into Edenbridge, passing the Star, crossing the river and gently climbing up through the centre of town,
under the Crown's banner to reach the turnoff for Edenbridge Town station.

We pulled up at the stop on the forecourt of the attractive little station at Edenbridge Town, right on schedule.

We did not stay long. We were soon back to the town, and turning north to pass under the Uckfield line and then the Tonbridge line at Edenbridge Station.
At Hilders Lane we turned left, and worked west for a mile to reach Troy Town. There we crossed the narrow bridges over both railway lines as they crossed each other,
and turned hard left to head back beside the Tonbridge line. I found a safe stretch of quiet straight lane
among the trees and bluebells to stop for a photo in the countryside.

We dropped down to pass under the Uckfield line, and wiggled into Edenbridge. We emerged near the Eden crossing, and headed south past the Star.
Leyland National SNB340 came the other way on the 434. We found the corner onto the B2026 to Marsh Green and Dormansland,
and wended our way back to The Plough, where I alighted.

I emerged from the pub in time to see RF633 departing for Edenbridge. Then SNB340 returned on its return journey to East Grinstead.

Then Southdown 424 arrived on the 409. It was time for another bout of connections...